After over a year of human rights complaints and petitions from students and faculty, University of Guelph officiansa say the school will step away from the use of exam proctoring software Respondus Monitor.
The recommendation comes from the President's Advisory Committee on Anti-Racism (PACAR), which said the proctoring software “does not align with U of G’s values.”
The software is used in addition to Respondus Lockdown Browser, which locks down the user’s browser, meaning they can’t print, copy, access other applications or open other tabs or websites. Respondus Monitor, on the other hand, utilizes webcams to record students during online exams, flagging any suspicious movement. The footage is then reviewed for possible academic misconduct.
While the software is intended to minimize cheating, students have said it causes undue stress and anxiety.
A petition started by first-year anthropology students stated, “With this software, students must ensure that they have a quiet, secluded workspace, which is not always possible.”
They went on to say that “every student has different levels of test anxiety and corresponding techniques to help keep calm and focussed during an exam. For example, jotting notes on scrap paper, glancing away from the exam, or speaking out loud, all which are not permitted in most lockdown exams.”
But there have also been a number of human rights concerns raised by students and faculty.
“There have been complaints globally about Respondus and other proctoring technologies relating to security, equity, accessibility, cost, stress, and bias,” said Gwen Chapman, U of G provost and vice-president (academic).
“Some of the most concerning issues are that it discriminates against students of colour, students with disabilities such as ADHD/ADD, epilepsy, and Tourette’s syndrome, and transgender students.”
She said there have been reports of facial detection issues with students of colour and transgender students, and that students with disabilities get “unfairly flagged” for movement.
The U of G began using the exam proctoring technology in the fall of 2020 when traditionally in-person courses moved online because of the pandemic.
“There was an abrupt change to teaching and learning environments when courses and exams moved to remote delivery, and it resulted in unprecedented challenges that affected how students worked and learned, and how their learning was assessed,” said Chapman.
In addition, she said a case study showed academic misconduct increased threefold during the pandemic.
So, they decided proctoring software would help the university in preventing further misconduct while ensuring students had “opportunities to demonstrate the achievement of learning outcomes in the context of COVID-19.”
Respondus Monitor was used in hundreds of courses in fall 2020 and winter 2021 since classes were mostly remote; its use has been less frequent since then.
However, Chapman said faculty members were “never required” to use Respondus in their courses or exams, and that its use was left up to each individual instructor.
By winter 2021, complaints from students across Ontario were beginning to be heard, and petitions were launched to end the use of the software. Some U of G faculty also began to raise concerns, Chapman said.
In response, the university announced in November of 2020 it would create a committee to review the matter. By winter 2021, this review resulted in two changes: faculty were encouraged to consider other assessment options, and students were given the chance to opt-out of using the software if they had human rights concerns.
But now after further review by PACAR, they’re moving away from the software completely. Chapman said they believe it’s a necessary step in “building a consciously anti-racist and inclusive environment at U of G.”
“PACAR indicates this recommendation aligns with its mandate,” she said. “In making its recommendation to the president, PACAR said it believes proctoring software that involves facial detection perpetuates inequality, specifically, racial discrimination and accessibility discrimination.”
Although it has been said the software doesn’t align with U of G’s values, its use won’t be completely eliminated, however.
During the winter semester, students will still be able to opt-out of using the software based on human rights concerns; then after May 2023, the software will only be available for “very limited uses” at U of G. For instance, for distance education courses where students are unable to come to campus.
Chapman said this is because they have “a commitment to ensuring that students have opportunities to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes.” Still, she said, the option to opt-out remains in place.
She noted they don’t plan to utilize any similar software in the future; Lockdown Browser will continue to be used.
